Spears or Arrows?

S

scalawag

Joined
Jan 21, 2001
Messages
49
Since we have seen "new" and different blades recently on the forum..it got me to wondering...what did the Nepalese use to hunt with for ranged targets before rifles? Are there any examples that anyone knows of using spears or bow and arrows...any examples to see? Khukuris are great for close combat but it is always safer to eliminate the target before he reaches you! I'd love to see the work that the kamis could do with a hunting spearpoint or arrowheads! Just curious since my Native ancestors prefered the bow and lance for many years.
 
Great question, scalawag! I've been thinking along those same lines myself. As soon as I've finished my wood model of a double-bit hatchet, I think I'll do a couple of spear-point models, and see if Uncle Bill will get the kamis to make them for me. There's just something about sharp edges!
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bzr
 
In the attempt to learn something about Nepalese hunting techniques, I ran across an article about the plight of the Raute people:
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">The fact that the Raute, the last hunter-gatherers of Nepal, have survived into this century is truly remarkable in our current age of diminishing cultural diversity.

Today, only a handful of societies around the world still practise full-time
hunting-gathering. The Raute are even more special because they hunt with nets and axes rather than guns or bows and arrows. Based on this communal hunting technique, Raute share all of their food and other property equally among each other. Politically, they have created the most democratic sub-culture in Nepal.
Those of us living in highly stratified societies could learn much from one of them.

For this reason alone, Raute society should be protected and regarded as a precious national treasure of Nepal. Sadly, without any understanding or appreciation for the basic social rules of the Raute’s nomadic foraging society, international development agencies and the Nepali government continue to assimilate the Raute in the name of social improvement.</font>
Click to expand...
Interesting on several levels.

 
:
The predominant society will never rest until they have assimilated all the people who have and know True Freedom!!!!
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The predominant society cannot see the wilderness they create by forcing people to live as they do. All the predominant society sees is what they think is the wilderness that free people live in.

The naked savage sleeps in an open hut in the jungle (with a knife) while the civilized man sleeps (un-armed) in fear behind locked doors in the city.

The individuals that make up the predominant society are the most aggresive predators the world has ever known.
And their way leads to chaos and dictatorships.
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Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
:
Bro is there any way of finding out what wood was the choice of the bowyers of the past in Nepal?


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Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Great article Berk! It is sad that mankind can't learn from the mistakes from the past---the Native Americans and the Aboriginee of Australia---like the article states have a kinship with the Raute People. -----"There is no need for us to live like you."--a truer statement has never been said! I will be on the look out for the book by Jana Fortier (Hunter-Gatherers at the Harvest: Asian Foragers in Contempery Perspective) when it is published. Interesting that they use nets and axes instead of bows---terrain conditions sure do have a factor in what a society will develope for a hunting practice. Thanks for the info Berk!
 
Uncle Bill,
that just reminded me of the little joke.
Pro is oppossed to Con,
so, if progress is a good thing wouldn't congress be a bad thing.
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Bob
 
Yvsa,
In some of my earlier researches on the subject, before I ran across the article I posted, I found that bows and arrows in Nepal have been made from bamboo. And here are some pics of bamboo arrows,although from Korea, not Nepal, and a Japanese bow and arrows of bamboo.
Berk


[This message has been edited by Berkley (edited 06-24-2001).]
 
Beezer, as noted in other recent threads, myself and the two Dave's are also interested in spears. I'm certain others are, as well.

My favorite (manual) weapon was the staff, but after finding out how much easier one is to use, the spear is easily my favorite.
 
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Spectre Dave you have just proven what military history has confirmed over and over many times.
An improved stick is always prefered for killing.
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And that goes from the first crude shaped, sharpened, wooden fire hardened spear, to the latest and greatest thunderstick.
Although some still prefer the quiet weapons.
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Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
A spear is a formidable piece of hardware, for sure.

I played around with one and it's not easy to defeat, and doesn't take a whole lot of complicated thinking or training to use. It does one thing, very well, and at a nice distance. If you can keep the other guy out from under your point, and he's got a shorter weapon, he has a tough row to hoe. The only drawback is that if he does get under your point you got troubles.

There are plenty of historical European manuals on the sword being translated but I don't know of any on spears. I wonder if this is because spears (and axes, for that matter) were po' folks' weapons and training had to be through oral teaching and demonstration?

Anybody know of any historical spearfighting manuals?
 
:
Doc I don't know of any and don't know much about spears and lances.
But it's said that among the Sioux, for want of a better word to describe them all, the lance and it's length showed the bravest among the warriors.
The shorter the lance the braver the warrior.
Many of them have around 2 1/2 to 3 foot shafts!!!!
And to me that makes them fall into sword length.
The stone points weren't really all that long since the longer they were the more fragile they were.
It was only after the coming of the Europeans and the introduction of iron that the points or lance-heads became longer.


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Yvsa.

"VEGETARIAN".............
Indin word for lousy hunter.
 
Doc...Im sure there are manuals on spear fighting...in karate there is a style of spear known as the yari..im sure its taught ... might be similar to bo jitsu (staff fighting)...but im no expert....maybe another formite knows.?
 
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